Local Professional MMA fighter talks about her journey and why more women are getting into it.

Local Professional MMA fighter talks about her journey and why more women are getting into it.

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Updated: 11:46 PM PST Feb 27, 2015

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WEBVTT THE PIRATE SHIP.THE PLUNGE TAKES PLACE AT NOON.NEW TONIGHT, A BIG MMA FIGHT ISSCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW NIGHT,THE MAIN EVENT FEATURES TWOWOMEN.AS THE SPORT EXPANDS BEYOND MEN,MORE WOMEN LOCALLY ARE ALSOGETTING INVOLVED IN THE SPORT.ACTION NEWS REPORTER LAURENSEAVER CAUGHT UP WITH A FEWLOCAL FEMALE FIGHTERS.SHE'S LIVE IN THE SALINAS NEWSROOM TONIGHT WITH MORE.TOMORROW NIGHT'S FIGHTFEATURES RONDA ROUSEY AND CATZINGANO.I SAT DOWN WITH A LOCAL FIGHTERWHO'S FOUGHT ZINGANO TO LEARNMORE ABOUT THE SPORT AND WHYMORE WOMEN ARE INTERESTED IN IT.MEET ANGELA SAMAROA, APROFESSIONAL MMA FIGHTER SINCE2007 WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH THESPORT BACK IN THE FOURTH GRADE.MY DAD TOOK ME TO WATCH MYVERY FIRST UFC AND I LOVED IT.AN ATHLETE MOST OF HER LIFE,SAMARO BEGAN WITH KARATE AT 10,THEN PLAYED BASKETBALL IN HIGHSCHOOL AND COLLEGE.BUT AFTER GRADUATION, SHE KNEWSHE WANTED TO DO MORE.SO SHE STARTED TRAINING AS AFIGHTER.HERE'S SAMARO DESCRIBING HERFIRST AMATEUR FIGHT IN THE MMARING.DAY OF THE FIGHT, GETTINGREADY TO GO, I GOT MY HANDS UP,BELL RINGS AND IT FEELS LIKE ABIG SLOW MOTION DREAM.SHE STARTS TEEING OFF ON ME.BUT SIX FIGHTS AND FOUR WINSLATER, SAMARO IS CONFIDENT THATTHIS IS HER PASSION.A PASSION FOR A SPORT HEAVILYMALE DOMINANT.SHE SAYS THERE WERE MANY TIMESIT WAS TOUGH TRAINING WITH THEGUYS BUT THEN THEY'D WATCH HERFIGHT.I COULD SEE THAT I WOULDIMPRESS THEM WITH WHAT I WASCAPABLE OF.I DIDN'T QUIT, I JUST KEPTPROGRESSING.A MESSAGE SHE SHARES WITH THEKIDS SHE WORKS WITH.AS A SOCIAL WORKER SHE OFTENLEANS ON HER EXPERIENCE AS APROFESSIONAL ATHLETE TO INSPIRETHE KIDS.THERE WAS EVEN TIMES WHERESOME OF THE THERAPISTS WOULD ASKME TO TAKE THE KIDS AND TRAINTHEM OR WORK OUT WITH THEM, JUSTGIVE THEM AN OUTLET.THEY LOVED IT AND SOME OF THEMWERE EVEN DOING BETTER LATER ON.OVER AT FIGHTERZ CORNER INSALINAS, IT'S A SIMILAR STORYFOR 17-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER SOSA.PEOPLE USED TO REALLY PICK ONME WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLAND I NEVER REALLY DID ANYTHINGABOUT IT.AND I CAME HERE AND I FELL INLOVE WITH IT.SHE SAYS THE JIU-JITSUTRAINING FOR HER ISN'T JUSTABOUT LEARNING HOW TO FIGHT, BUTINSTEAD, ABOUT THE CONFIDENCE ITGIVES HER.IF THEY PICK ON ME I KNOWTHAT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTERANYMORE BECAUSE I HAVE THECONFIDENCE AND THE STRENGTH.AND I'VE LEARNED TO HANDLE THATBECAUSE OF THIS.SOSA IS ONE OF ONLY THREEGIRLS IN A CLASS OF 20.SHE HOPES MORE WOMEN WILL HAVETHE COURAGE TO FIGHT TOO.AS FOR SAMARO, SHE SAYS AS THEMMA WORLD SLOWLY BEGINS TOWELCOME MORE WOMEN, SHE HAS ABROADER MESSAGE TO SHARE.I THINK WOMEN SHOULD BEENCOURAGED TO DO ANYTHING THATTHEY HAVE A DESIRE TO DO.SAMARO IS CURRENTLY INJURED,BUT HOPES TO GET BACK INTOFIGHTING SOMETIME THIS YEAR.SHE IS CURRENTLY TRAINING WITH

Women in MMA

Local Professional MMA fighter talks about her journey and why more women are getting into it.